1967 Ford Galaxie 500 - Last Call

By 1967, there weren’t many mountains left for the Galaxie’s R-code 427 engine to climb. It was in the middle of an unbroken string of NASCAR manufacturer championships that would continue through 1969, it had won LeMans, set Bonneville records, won NHRA championships, conquered Pike’s Peak, and proved a popular option on the street.

But for all its success, it was based on ’50s engine architecture, and the times were changing. On the drawing boards were much more sophisticated engines with giant ports, big, canted valves, and hemispherical combustion chambers, engineering that left the comparatively basic 427 wedge in the dust. The 427 had delivered hall-of-fame service, but it was nearing retirement.

This one is still in its original family

2/8Original owner Alan Breeding parked his Galaxie in a barn in the late ’70s. A couple of years ago his son, Michael, prompted him into treating the old street/strip warrior to a new life.

At the engine’s debut in January 1963, the only way to get its blockbuster big-block power was in a fullsize car. In 1967 that was no longer true. Smaller, lighter, more affordable cars had become the front for the horsepower wars. Pony car lines were a hot zone. The new, upstart Camaro was offering a 396, and Mustang was reengineered to keep pace, offering an optional 390. Intermediates like GTO, Chevelle SS, 4-4-2, and Fairlane were also drawing more muscle car customers than the bigger, heavier barges. Ford had to recognize that the market for the 427 Galaxie had changed.

That made 1967 the swan song for the renowned 427 Galaxie. Kevin Marti’s invaluable research shows that of the almost 1 million ’67 Galaxies built, a mere 24 427 8V Galaxie 500s were built, all with four-speeds.

This one is still in its original family. It was ordered by Alan Breeding in November 1966, built at the Dallas plant the next month, and sold on December 30, 1966. Don’t tell anyone, but at the time, Alan was working at the Kansas City Buick-Olds-Pontiac plant as an assembly relief technician.

3/8For Ford lovers, the Side-Oiler 427 V8 is a mountaintop experience. During the restoration, this engine spun the dyno to 456.2 hp at 5,764 rpm.

Alan spec’d out a brawler, ordering the maxi-muscle R-code 427 8V High-Performance engine ($975.09), four-speed transmission ($184.02), and 3.50 axle, all wrapped in a sleek, Candyapple Red two-door hardtop body with black vinyl top. Other than tinted glass ($39.45), vinyl roof ($74.36), and AM radio ($57.51) with rear-mounted antenna ($9.50), there wasn’t much else for comfort and convenience—no factory mags, deluxe stereo, power brakes or steering, no air conditioning, or any of that gingerbread. Not even whitewalls. The upsized 8.15x15 tires were required with the 427, and Alan went with the plain blackwalls.

Cars built with the 427 got other unseen upgrades, too. From the ’67 Ford dealer album: “Cars equipped with either engine [the 427 8V or 4V] also have heavy-duty front and rear suspension, heavy-duty driveshaft and universal joints, heavy-duty differential, and heavy-duty cold-extruded axle shafts.”

4/8Two versions of the 427 were available for ’67 models. W-code motors were fitted with a single four-barrel carb and rated at 410 hp. The R-code motor used two 652-cfm Holleys to feed the beast and earned a 425hp rating.

Of the 18 fullsize models Ford offered for 1967, Galaxie 500 was midway up the totem pole, ahead of the most basic Custom and lightly trimmed Custom 500, and beneath the luxury LTD and performance-themed XL and 7-Litre. Base MSRP on the hardtop was $2,754.68, almost exactly $1,000 more than that year’s VW Beetle.

Alan knew what he wanted to do with his new car. He says, “The car was purchased to have a high-performance daily driver, but also to race on weekends at Kansas City drag strip off Front Street.”

That would have been the old Kansas City Timing Association’s (KCTA) dragstrip—gone now—which opened in 1955. Kansas City International Raceway, a new track, opened in 1967 and closed at the end of the 2011 season.

5/8Mike’s Classic Cars has learned that original plug wire sets used one boot that was red while the rest were black. The reason was that the center two wires were supposed to be crossed during assembly to prevent crossfires. The wire with the red boot went to the front. Note the bosses on the exhaust manifolds, which would have been drilled for smog pump manifolding should that have been necessary.

Alan lived in rural Missouri, in the small town of Tina, and was anxious to have some full-throttle fun. Preserving it for the ages was not an objective. It got raced on and off the track. “We’d race from the gate to the bridge,” Alan recalls, “a quarter-mile on blacktop.”

The Galaxie also got its share of period mods. An eight-track player was installed under the driver’s seat, a set of GT styled steel wheels replaced the stockers, a set of gauges was hung from the dash, and the 427 badges on the front fender were removed and replaced with Cobra emblems to leave people guessing about the engine. Alan also had the dealer install an under-dash air conditioner.

The big red Galaxie even served as a tow vehicle for a ’66 Mustang racer that he built.

6/8When the Galaxie was a street driver, Alan used to bash his knuckles on an under-dash air conditioner during speed shifts. It was removed during the restoration. When they were new, 428 Cobra Jets and other performance engines were offered with either a four-speed or an automatic, but the 427 was available only with the four-speed.

The car was never in an accident, and the only casualty of its days on the street was the original clutch, which expired.

In 1978 Alan registered the Galaxie 500 for the last time, and then rolled it into a barn. There it stayed, safe and dry, but began to take on that derelict look of heavy dust, critter tracks, and boxes sitting on top of it. A couple of years ago, Michael, Alan’s son, suggested that the old Ford be pulled out of the barn and restored. Alan agreed, and the car was sent to Ford specialists Mike’s Classic Cars near Omaha, Nebraska, for a full-on restoration.

7/8Alan ordered his Galaxie with a basic vinyl bench seat interior. Galaxie 500s had some woodgrain panels and a better-looking interior overall. The ’67 model year was Ford’s first year for the Impact Absorbing Deep Hub steering wheel center—not terribly good-looking, but it was an early example of the trend towards safety that continues today.

It didn’t need panel replacement because it wasn’t rusty; it just had small rust spots in a couple places. As work progressed, all the aftermarket extras were removed, and the car was returned to its pure showroom state. Eric and crew at Mike’s know how to get the details right and renew that like-new glow. Peterson Body and Paint in West Point, Nebraska, applied the fresh color. From the five-crossmember frame to the trim and badging, the rare Galaxie 500 looks as fresh as when it rolled off the transporter at Tall Pall Ford.

With a surplus of power, drum brakes, and no power options, this is not a car you’re going to one-finger through town. You have to drive it. Seeing it in motion is an event that gets attention. The sound is extraordinary. The 427, perhaps Ford’s finest engine ever, leaves no doubt that this is high-end, high-powered machinery, and it’s fresh for the second time, having just completed its restoration.

Alan has handed ownership to his son Michael, who gladly takes over as custodian of the superb ’67, the legendary 427 Side-Oiler’s last call.

8/8The ’67 Galaxie 500s look similar to the ’66s but have narrower, more vertical taillights that lean forward at the top. The body has more side sculpture, and the roofline is also different.